Potato-dropper.



No. 718,707. PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903. G R. POARD.

POTATO DROPPER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9, 1902 10 MODEL.

Nrrnn STATES Arnivr GF IQE.

CHARLES ROSS FOARD, OF ELKTON, MARYLAND.

POTATO-DROPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,707, dated. January 20, 1903. Application filed October 9,1902. Serial No. 126,426- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES Ross FOARD,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Elkton, in the county of Cecil and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Droppers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for planting potatoes or other sets, the object being to provide a simple and effective device of the character named adapted to be straddled and drawn along by the operator, the machine being suspended from his shoulders, thus leaving the hands entirely free to feed the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine which will be entirely automatic in the dropping of the potatoes at uniform distances apart in the furrow, the work of the operator being confined to supplying the hopper with potatoes.

The construction of the improvement will be fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and its novel features will be defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of amachine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan of the valve device employed in the-bottom of the hopper, said device being in its closed position. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the valve device open. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the dischargechute and lower end of the machine; and Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the discharge-spout, taken at a right angle to that of Fig. 4.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same reference characters.

The frame of the machine comprises a trough-like structure consisting of parallel side bars 1, suitably connected together transversely and serving as a tongue by which the machine is drawn along. Supported upon the frame by suitable brackets 2 are a hopper 3 and a boX or receptacle 4:, the latter being provided with a strap 5, by means of which the frame is suspended from the shoulders of the operator.

6 designates a shaft extending across the upper end ofthe frame and supported in bracketbearings 7, one on either side of the frame, a

sprocket-wheel 8 being mounted upon said shaft.

Extending across the lower end of the frame and supported in suitable bearings is a shaft 9, having a sprocket-wheel 10 mounted thereon, said sprocket-wheel having a concentric gear-pinion 11 fixed thereto. Adjacent to the shaft 9 and parallel therewith is another shaft 12, upon one end of which is mounted a traction-wheel 13, adapted to travel in a furrow. Upon the opposite end of the shaft 12 is a loosely-mounted guide-wheel 14-, of less diameter than the wheel 13 and adapted to travel on the surface of the ground, as illustrated in Fig. 1. A gear-wheel15, fixed upon the shaft 12 between the side bars of the frame, meshes with the pinion 11.

The two sprocket-wheels 8 and 10 are connected by an endless sprocket-chain'lti, which serves as a carrier for the potatoes and is provided with equidistant spurs 17.

Within the bottom of the hopper is arranged a valve device comprising two substantially triangular plates 17*, pivotally supported in horizontal'position at the points 18 and having their approximate edges hollowed out to form a seat or depression 19 to receive the set. The front portions of said edges are oppositely beveled to provide a flaring space 20, into which the spurs of the endless carrier enter to open or separate the plates. The plates are kept normally closed by springs of suitable construction, flat springs 21 being here shown for this purpose.

At the lower end of the frame is attached a discharge'spout 22, braced to the frame by one or more braces 23 and open at its upper end to receive the potatoes from the carrier. One side of the discharge-spout 24 is hinged, as shown in Fig. 5, and held normally closed by a spring 24, the inclined lower end 25 of said side constituting the bottom of the spout.

The frame of the machine is closed or covered for a portion of its length below the box and hopper, as shown at 26, to protect the clothing of the operator, and the sides of will be readily understood. The operator straddles the frame with his face toward the hopper, and the strap is passed over the shoulder. The potatoes (or other set to be planted) are placed in the box 4, and as the operator walks along he feeds the potatoes to the hopper, the revolution of the traction-wheels causing the endless carrier to revolve. As each of the spurs 17 passes between the valve-plates, a potato or set drops upon the carrier and is conveyed down to the discharge-spout. As each spur reaches the discharge-spout, it strikes a projection 26 on the hinged side of the spout, causing said side to tilt on its hinge, thus opening the bottom of the spout and discharging the potato previously dropped therein. After the machine has been started there is always one potato within the discharge-spout.

It will be apparent that both hands of the operator are left free to feed the hopper and that the operation of the valve device is visible, so that the proper spacing of the potatoes upon the carrier will be assured.

The machine is light and durable in con struction and may be readily and conveniently operated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A potato-planter, comprising a frame, a hopper supported thereon, an endless carrier supported upon said frame and provided with spurs, a discharge-spout and means for opening and closing said spout, and an automatic Valve device within the hopper.

2. A potato-planter, comprising a frame, a hopper and receptacle supported on said frame, an endless carriersupported upon said frame and provided with spurs, means for suspending the frame from the body of the operator, a discharge-spout into which the potatoes are delivered by the carrier, means for automatically opening said spout, and a valve device Within the hopper adapted to be operated by said spurs.

3. A potato-planter, comprising a frame, a hopper and potato receptacle on said frame,an endless carrier mounted within said frame and provided with spaced spurs, spring-pressed plates at the bottom of the hopper adapted to support a potato and to be separated by said spurs, and a discharge-spout at the lower end of the frame.

4. A potatoplanter, comprising a frame, shafts supported in bearings of said frame, a traction-wheel and a guide-wheel mounted upon one of said shafts, an endless carrier provided with spaced spurs and mounted upon sprocket-wheels on said shafts, gearing for driving said carrier from the traction-Wheel shaft, and a discharge-spout provided With means for automatically opening and closing it.

5. A potato-planter, comprising a frame covered fora part of its length, shafts mounted transversely of said frame, an endless carrier supported on two of said shafts and provided with spurs, a hopper on said frame, a valve device within said hopper adapted to be operated by said spurs, a discharge-spout at the lower end of the frame, and means for automatically opening said spout by the movement of the carrier.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in the presence of the subscribing witnesscs.

CHARLES ROSS FOARD.

Witnesses: Y

PHILIP M. GROVES, WM. S. EVANS, Jr. 

